He’s arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL, is one year removed from being the Defensive Player of the Year, and is on a Hall of Fame trajectory. So it’s no surprise that outside linebacker T.J. Watt is the most important player to the Pittsburgh Steelers entering the 2023 season, outside of the obvious importance of quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Watt finds himself on a star-studded defense entering the 2023 season with the likes of team captain Cameron Heyward, and All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, not to mention burgeoning standout outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, veteran defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, and future Hall of Fame cornerback Patrick Peterson.
This might be the best defense Watt has played on since entering the league in 2017, and it could lead to a monster year in a bounce back season for the All-Pro outside linebacker, who missed seven games last season due to a partially torn pectoral muscle. That’s why beat writer Mark Kaboly named Watt the Steelers non-QB MVP Monday morning in a piece for The Athletic highlighting non-QB MVPs for all 32 teams across the league.
“Watt might seem like a layup but with a defense littered with stars like Minkah Fitzpatrick and Cam Heyward and an offense that will feature Najee Harris, George Pickens and Diontae Johnson, Watt isn’t a sure bet,” Kaboly writes regarding his selection of Watt as non-QB MVP for the Steelers. “After an injury-plagued-and-unproductive 2022 season, Watt is healthy and determined to get back to his 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year ways when he tied the NFL record for most sacks in a single season. Watt has, on paper, the most talent around him in his career, especially with the emergence of Alex Highsmith and the acquisition of Markus Golden to take some attention off of him. But more than anything else, Watt is motivated to show that last year was nothing more than a fluke.”
Based on his comments throughout the offseason, Watt is still bothered by the way the 2022 season played out with him missing seven games due to the pectoral injury suffered late in the Week One overtime win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Without Watt, Pittsburgh went 1-6, entering the Week Nine bye with an ugly 2-6 record and seemingly out of the playoffs picture.
Once Watt returned though, the Steelers defense transformed back into the dominant unit that it is, holding teams to 17 points or less consistently, as Pittsburgh went 7-2 in the second half of the season to finish 9-8 on the year and narrowly miss the playoffs.
Saying Watt isn’t a sure bet though, at least from a health perspective, seems like a bit of recency bias from Kaboly. Prior to last season, Watt was a beacon of health overall. He played in 77 of a possible 80 games and recorded snap count percentages of 82, 86, 86, 88, 73 and 83.
Prior to the injury suffered late in the fourth quarter of the Week One win, Watt looked like his usual dominant self. He recorded a sack, three tackles for loss and an interception before that ill-fated play in which he tried to sack Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow but slid off as Burrow ducked under. That resulted in the injury that landed Watt on Injured Reserve.
When Watt came back he was his usual disruptive self, making a play at the line of scrimmage on his first snap against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10, signaling his return.
Watt recorded 29 pressures in the second half of the season, including a season-high six against the Cleveland Browns in Week 18. While he said it took him awhile after his return to really feel like himself, he was still a very good player.
He’s aiming to prove that in 2023 and has been working out like a madman this offseason, including most recently on a golf course with his brother, J.J. The injury and how it happened still eats at Watt, and he’s driven to prove that last season was just a fluke. With health, more talent around him and a serious chip on his shoulder, Watt could be in line for a monster 2023 season.
If that happens, he could find himself in the actual MVP conversation again.
